Aria

This week I read Aria by Richard Rodriguez

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0MW5DdnZyVnpGSHc/view?usp=sharing

Quotes

   Language in general is something that can be difficult to learn. The best time to learn a new language is when you are young. Coming from a different counrty trying to learn the language used there can prove to be quite a challenge.

  "Without question, it would have pleased me to hear my teachers address me  in Spanish when I entered the classroom. I would have felt much less afraid" (Rodriguez 1). A student coming into a new environment may not be quite ready to learn something such as a new language. They might feel out of place and fear talking out loud in the class because they speak differently than everyone else are maybe they don't know how to say what they are thinking in English at all. It is difficult to accomadate for students in this postion and this I why today there are ESL classrooms that try and teach kids English while incorporating their language to help them learn.

   "I overheard one voice gently wondering, 'Do your children speak only Spanish at home'" (Rodriguez 2)? If a family legally migrates from one country to another it is clear that they would have to comply to how school is run in that country. The nuns that enter the Rodriguez household never had to. Families should be allowed to speak in whatever language they wish in their own household. The nuns wanted Richard's parents to start speaking Spanish in their home, the agreed in the article. Richard's parents should not have had to agree to such terms. They should be allowed to talk however they would like at home but obviously when they go out they would have to converse with people that most likely did not speak that language. Richard might have to speak English at school and do his work in English to satisfy the school conditions but he should not have to speak English in the comfort of his own home is the language at home is Spanish.

   Throughout Richard's article he states the struggles of learning a new language when that isn't the language his family speaks at home. I do believe that people should learn the commonly used language wherever they moved to but they should not be forced to speak it. People have the right to speak whatever language they would like. Schools should be trying ways to incorporate different languages into the curriculum to help out the students who are not familiar with English. Schools are started to incorporate these methods with ESL classrooms and classrooms that involve multiple languages, the majority of the time Spanish.

Jonathan Kozol, Amazing Grace

This week I am posting about Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace which can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0Ml9vUkdMdFdoNDg/view

This week I am going to tackle the argumentative response

I think we can agree that we have read some pretty harrowing information in this article. The reality that these people are living in is something, I assume, none of us have seen or been through. "In humid summer weather, roaches crawl on virtually every surface of the houses in which many of the children live. Rats emerge from holes in bedroom walls, terrorizing infants in their cribs" (Kozol 5). These are conditions that nobody should be living in, especially children, and unfortunately the majority of the people living in these conditions happen to be African American. This is one example of many presented throughout the entire article.

   Given the many examples throughout the article I take a different stand, which might be a trend throughout this semester. What comes to mind to me is why are these things happening? Questions are essential because they engage ones brain to actually think about what is going on. Who is to blame for these conditions that these people are unfortunately living in? Most importantly, who's responsibility is it to fix these problems?

   Fixing the poverty issue is something that may take a long time to fix, it may never be fixed. But I am curious, obviously we need to do something to fix it but what? Is it morally right to take money from tax payers to help fix the poverty issue? The reason why things seem to never get better is because that you cannot do anything without some sort of funding. Many people are not willing to practically donate money to fix all of the infrastructure issues, to fix the education systems, to fix the problems with hospitals and patients not receiving the proper care or care at all even. "In 1991,84 people, more than half of whom were 21 or younger, were murdered in the precinct" (Kozol 5). I hate to say it, I guarantee that the majority of the murders were committed by African Americans to other African Americans. "Nearly 4,000 heroin injectors, many of whom are HIV-infected, live here" (Kozol 4). Potentially programs could be implemented to help people who are addicted to heroin or even programs to help influence young kids to grow up and make a positive difference in the world, which is something everyone is capable of doing by following the right path and making the right decisions. The main issue is that these areas have been in conflict for far too long. Murder and drugs have become to norm, the way of life. But I must say, to blame all of these statistics and problems on white people doesn't make any sense. 

  The main problem is poverty. Unfortunately the majority of people living in poverty are African American. You can say that white people are privileged because the majority of us do not live in these conditions sure. However, the truth is that anyone that doesn't have to live in these conditions is privileged regardless of the color of their skin. The main focus is to get rid of poverty, the hardest question of them all is how do we fix poverty? 

Kristof, Land of Limitations

   More and more people today don't believe in meritocracy. The idea that if you work hard you can be successful in life. My question is, is it alright to have the mindset that no matter how hard you work and how hard you try that you will not be successful? "your outcome is largely determined by your beginning." I understand that a poor young adult is not going to have the same opportunities as as a young adult that comes from a family who has much more money. This is because they do not have the same resources or connections which then leads to not having as many opportunities. "Rick worked in lumber mills and machine shops, then became a talented custom painter of cars." Kristof's friend Rick is the perfect example of somebody that came from nothing and did make something for himself. He learned a trade and worked hard to make a decent living for himself. Many people that grow up in poverty struggle to find the answer, struggle to find their way. And it is not entirely their fault. If you grow up surrounded by a certain attitude or view, chances are you will be influenced by it and your chances of acting similarly are much higher. Regardless of where you begin, you should always try and do your best. No matter what societies limitations may be.

About Me

About Me

   My name is Nathan Barnett I'm a sophomore at Rhode Island College. I am currently enrolled Technology Education. I want to become a teacher so I can teach kids how to build homes. I want to be able to reach out to the specific group of kids that don't really like school and give them a viable alternative. I've been working as a carpenter for a construction company for about two years now and I really enjoy working with my hands and building things. I want to be able to share my passion and educate students on how to build homes. The trades are dying, people are filtering out and there is nobody to replace them. I want to be apart of the big picture and encourage kids there is nothing wrong with working with your hands.

This is a house we just finished in Jamestown.